The top JavaScript trends to look forward to in 2019

According Stack Overflow Report, JavaScript has been one of the most popular languages for software development for many years, and we predict it’s not going to lose its position any time soon (thank you Captain Obvious - right?).

JavaScript frameworks and libraries listed below are usually the top choice for developers of web and mobile applications. One of the reasons why, is that frontend developers that are familliar with JavaScript can build backend applications with the lanugage they already know.

JavaScript development world is changing and doing it fast. We’ve come upon a time when different frameworks constantly aim to overtake the competition, and become the most used and recognizable framework among developers. Many projects have switched frameworks and it’s a trend we don’t see going away any time soon (such as 9GAG that has switched from React to Vue).

No matter the size and needs of your company, if you work with JavaScript - it worth taking a look at the trends that are forming. So without further a do, here are the top JavaScript trends to look forward to in 2019.

The rise of Vue.js

Despite being relatively new, the Vue.js framework is growing more and more popular everyday. Just last month it’s been downloaded over 2.4 million times. Last year it received the highest amount of stars on GitHub out of all JavaScript projects out there, demonstrating how much developers enjoy and appreciate it.

Programmers familiar with other JavaScript frameworks can pick up Vue very easily due to its simplicity and clarity. Experienced developers that start working with Vue find its structure very intuitive as the Vue components are pretty much a combination of HTML and JavaScript. It has been learning from the mistakes and successes of React & Angular and only taking the best, while leaving the bad parts behind. The fact that Vue creators are constantly working on native TypeScript support(rumored to be ready in 2019) is just a cherry on top.

“I can’t wait for the newest Vue (3) version and if what its creator - Evan You, is saying is true they’re going to hit a homerun and surpass other frameworks.” said one of our front-end developers Bartosz Zienkiewicz.

To read more about Pros and Cons of Vue check out our latest blog post here.

Not giving up the throne just yet - ReactJS

Supported by Facebook, React has been the most popular JavaScript frameworks over the past 5 years. Netflix, Flipboard, PayPal and BBC were the first organizations that utilized React’s potential.

According to their own websiteReact makes it painless to create interactive UIs. Design simple views for each state in your application, and React will efficiently update and render just the right components when your data changes.

Due to its popularity and established position (mostly because of support from such giant as Facebook) it is not likely it will give up its spot at the top in the coming years.

From AngularJS to Angular 7

Even if you’re new to JavaScript you surely heard about Angular. Developed by Google, this framework is usually used to develop single page applications.

Every couple of months Google comes up with a new version - from Angular 1 through 7. They keep improving their product and have a devoted following in their community. However it is already being surpassed by forementioned Vue when it comes to popularity.

The backend of Node.js

The list of javascript frameworks can’t be complete without Node.js. It is the most popular framework among backend developers who work with this language. When it comes to the server-side of programming with JS - Node has no competition.

Worth mentioning - GraphQL

Many consider that GraphQL is the replacement for the REST APIs in 2019. Since GraphQL integrates with React (a forementioned most popular JS framework) it is becoming an important competitor for Relay.

“In my opinion GraphQL, might be the feature to look out for in 2019. As seen based on npm downloads, more and more developers tend to use it in their projects. Its power comes from the fact, that GraphQL allows client to fetch only the data that it wants, and that means no more over or under-fetching!” - Andrzej Gatkowski, intern at Naturaily.

Conclusion

The community is currently standing strong behind React, and other libraries are following in their technical steps. It’s a safe career choice but you should also consider Vue.js, since its rise in popularity is steady and fast. It has already passed Angular, but to be fair this framework still has some adamant followers and specific uses.

When it comes to backend frameworks written in JavaScript, Node still has no competition, but look out for GraphQL - it might surprise you in the future!